Has the Dolphins' success changed the expansion conversation? | Wide World of Sports

[@nrlontop5981]

People are saying put a team in Perth which wouldn’t bother me, but PNG need a team, League is so popular over there and moving the hunters in the nrl would be great for the sport

[@blackrose.9927]

They could have more than one Team , not straight away but they could.

[@lindsaysmith8119]

I think that there is more than enough talent out there for further expansion. It would be an interesting exercise to see how many really talented young players drop out of the game because of a lack of opportunity at the NRL level.

[@poppinc8145]

A second New Zealand team. A Perth team. A PNG team.

[@sirbedevere4944]

Correct

[@theophilussogoromo3000]

The goal should be to grow the game in Australia, perhaps Perth or Adelaide. The Pacifica team based in Cairns doesn't make much sense. That would make it a Queensland team, not a Pacifica team. This is club footy, not representative footy.

[@robbiebalboa]

I guess that’s should be a goal for the NRL to create a legacy and expand the talent pool outside of the traditional strongholds. In 2023 they’ll fall behind if they don’t think global. They’re behind already to be honest.

[@clevelandwilliams5922]

Newtown Jets, North Sydney Bears & Wests Tigers dismantled into seperate clubs. Balmain Tigers & Western Suburbs Magpies. Move Newtown Blue Bags as Adelaide Team. Wests Magpies as Perth Team. Balmain into Tasmania & Bears into Pacific. We need to reintroduce our historicity clubs not brand new franchise that have nothing to offer.

[@blackrose.9927]

​@@clevelandwilliams5922Nah no moving Teams there is another answer. 😉

[@Rinzz492]

Bring the bears back plus separate the tigers and also bring back the magpies

[@tainuiparata-cz5do]

Need more teams in NZ, let us grow the game here ya bloody ausys, we need more teams then just the warriors. Give us a Wellington team and a South island team

[@blackrose.9927]

1000% Wellington Orcas and Christchurch Bulls 😉

[@BulldogDynasty]

What this panel all overlooked about the Dolphins is that they’re a traditional club, they already had a very strong financial base and have their under age systems in place naturally. This panel overlooked all the natural strengths of the Dolphins.

[@BillWoodhouse-sk2ix]

What about the North Sydney Bears possible New Guinea another team in Central Queensland and another team called the Pacific Islander's

[@blackrose.9927]

They overlook everything

[@gavinringland1362]

NSW

[@scotty8576]

18th team HAS to be Perth

[@VNexoV]

I wouldn't mind they put a new team but remove a current team tigers just suck so bad.

[@Youser57]

2nd NZ team too, they need a derby rivalry. Would grow the game internationally. NZ is so cheap, professional , and easy for logistics too.

[@blackrose.9927]

@@VNexoV These People that wanna see Teams cut ??? Wtf ? That's what fkd it in the first place 😂 More Teams not less I mean if certain Teams didn't have multiple feeder clubs We could expand 😏 Don't ya think ?

[@commentarytalk1446]

You have to get grass-roots popular with kids and then LOCAL RIVALRIES and traditions going with the local kids wanting to represent their home club and play regional matches. Then the winners of regional go on to knock-out at higher level to then win national level etc. But you want to build from local clubs/schools that all then go towards supporting a major NRL team in that region. Warriors may not be that successful but they're bound to pull in more Kiwis with interest in league and will only becoming a bigger club with more time. Same applies to other untapped regions. That can stimulate more league at grass-roots around that region. It's got to be well structured for kids to learn the game, get skilled, develop fitness and enjoy physical team game. Good coaching, good competitions locally and biggest, make it a good place for the kids to socialize/have fun any time they pick up a ball.

[@erinaporter1985]

Like your comments but disagree with what you said about the Warriors. Unfortunately for the Warriors before they existed NZer's had their favorite teams already so they are not always the default favorite team here. Poor management and the subsequent lack of success has turned a lot of people in NZ against supporting them and made them the Butt of a lot of jokes.

[@commentarytalk1446]

@@erinaporter1985 Mismanagement. Should be able to capitalize on the Pacific Islanders talent + any Kiwis who go with League over Union for whatever personal reasons. Building League at grass-roots in NZ should also be the other major strategy let alone the franchise/team's performances and signings on the pitch.

[@BillWoodhouse-sk2ix]

Of course the Dolphins did a marvelous job and should have more teams in the world best game

[@darylkanofski9327]

I don't watch news or read much but whose idea is it for 20 teams as the NRL say yes to having more teams but what are they doing to expand the game. Last year they scrapped the mid year pacific tests which lots of people enjoyed. For juniors they need special programs for specific positions and get some of the greats involved

[@DabDabGoose]

They had the mid year Pacific tests last year.

[@johnsonwithat2322]

If Tigers can be a team, anyone can be a team lol

[@kaumibon]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@sturmtheguitarist]

There were 20 teams back in 1995-96, but was the talent pool bigger back then?

[@mickhofman]

How long must we wait for the Bears to come back FFS !!!!

[@nickalan5539]

F**k the Bears, bring back the Steelers.

[@laurens4561]

So there are twice as many teams in Brisbane as there is in NT, WA, SA, Vic and Tas....

[@beefhamburger-yy5jb]

2 more teams in Queensland and 1 more team on the central coast, NSW

[@davidtaliai996]

If you want 20 teams lower the junior rego fees so more kids can play to replenish the player pool.

[@charlottewalsh1030]

PNG,Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, 2nd NZ club, Perth, Adelaide, Central Coast, Mackay. 2 tiers, relagation,demotion etc ,or, area pools maybe?

[@ChrisBrown-or8ky]

I know the warriors are a basket case, but nz as a fan base is screaming for another team. I'm both a league and union fan and kiwi interest in union is dropping. Reckon it's wide open for another team in chch, which is building a roofed 30,000 seat stadium for union. It's at least got to be on the radar for the NRL

[@DabDabGoose]

A South island team is needed I think, that and Perth who lost their union team a few years ago.

[@mikespearwood3914]

@@DabDabGoose The Force? Ummm....

[@Youser57]

100% they have the talent and create a derby rivalry with 2nd team

[@Alekosdw]

Central coast bears 🐻 20 teams is realistic now !

[@waredarmy]

West Coast Pirates! Perth is a no brainer.

[@DjDmt]

🤝

[@blackrose.9927]

Pirates and The Reds 😊 With a 2 Tier Comp.

[@blackrose.9927]

Instant Local Derby 😏

[@Samizouza]

Well they have to expand the game beyond Australia further with possibly a PNG/Pasifika team and another NZ franchise based in Christchurch IMO.

[@khodesh1071]

Perth or team based out of Christchurch

[@blackrose.9927]

Both 😊

[@aetfggdgdfgret]

They can be and they need to expand more. They need a team in Perth and Adelaide definitely. And they need at least 2 more teams in NZ plus Fiji and maybe Pacific Islands team. Darwin as well. They could draw lots of Indigenous people from the Territory into the game. But first of all, Sydney teams need to relocate. Sydney can have maximum 3 to 4 teams. The other need to go. Plus the Dolphins as well. Maybe to Sunshine Coast. NRL cannot afford to play in small, 2nd grade stadiums anymore.

[@darylkanofski9327]

I agree with what you are saying about NSW, 4 teams and bring back North Sydney though

[@aetfggdgdfgret]

@@darylkanofski9327 Yes, definitely they need to bring back the Bears. Although in my opinion it would be more beneficial for NRL to put them in Gosford. They could play few games in North Sydney.

[@Jamie-ye7fu]

I mostly agree. I wanted to scream when he said bring back the bears, we need less SYD not more. Personally, this would be my plan. A team in every urban centre in Oceania that currently has 300k+ population (with the exception of Townsville and minus Honolulu), with the top 3 having multiple, but no more than 20 teams and actually representing the area they play in not the cringey American joint teams or teams with names for places they aren't based. A truly big city comp. Same principle in the second grade but with 100k-300k centres (plus Suva which is 80k), whilst maintaining current community clubs and their pathways. From those rules, I came up with this: NRL - 1 PNG, 2 NZ, 5 QLD (2 BNE), 7 NSW (2 SYD, 2 GWS), 1 ACT, 2 VIC/MEL, 1 SA, 1 WA: 1. Papua New Guinea Hunters (PNG Football Stadium, Port Moresby, PNG) 2. Auckland Aotearoa Warriors (Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland, NZ) 3. Christchurch Canterbury Bulldogs (Rugby League Park, Christchurch, NZ) 4. North Queensland Cowboys (North Queensland Stadium, Townsville, QLD) 5. Sunshine Coast Falcons (Sunshine Coast Stadium [redeveloped], Kawana Waters, QLD) 6. Brisbane Broncos (Lang Park, Brisbane, QLD) 7. BNE Dolphins (Lang Park, Brisbane, QLD) 8. Gold Coast Titans (Robina Stadium, Gold Coast, QLD) 9. Newcastle Knights (Newcastle International Sports Centre, Newcastle, NSW) 10. Central Coast Sea Eagles (Central Coast Stadium, Gosford, NSW) 11. Sydney Roosters (Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney, NSW) 12. Sydney Rabbitohs (Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney, NSW) 13. Parramatta Eels (Western Sydney Stadium, Greater Western Sydney, NSW) 14. Penrith Panthers (New Penrith Stadium, Greater Western Sydney, NSW) 15. Illawarra Steelers (Wollongong Showground, Wollongong, NSW) 16. Canberra Raiders (Canberra Stadium, Bruce, ACT) 17. Melbourne Storm (Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne, VIC) 18. Melbourne Thunder (Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne, VIC) 19. Adelaide Rams (Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, SA) 20. Perth Pirates (Perth Oval, Perth, WA) Souths move closer to home and share the SFS again, we keep Stadium Australia for the big games like GF and Origin (just like Wembley has no permanent team), and we have a team playing out of Sydney City every week, a team playing out of Brisbane every week, and a team playing out of Melbourne every week, all in big modern stadiums in the middle of the 3 biggest cities in Oceania. We de-merge and demote St George and bring back Illawarra Steelers as a token for the nostalgia bias boomers but also as Wollongong is a 300k plus area with a stadium that isn't a tiny suburban place. QLD Cup - 13 QLD, 2 PNG, 1 NSW, 1 NT, 2 NZ, 1 CAL 1. Brisbane Tigers (Langlands Park, Brisbane, QLD) 2. Burleigh Bears (Pizzey Park, Gold Coast, QLD) 3. Central Queensland Capras (Browne Park, Rockhampton, QLD) 4. Ipswich Jets (North Ipswich Reserve, Ipswich, QLD) 5. Mackay Cutters (Stadium Mackay, Mackay, QLD) 6. Northern Pride (Burlow Park, Cairns, QLD) 7. Norths Devils (Bishop Park, Brisbane, QLD) 8. Port Moresby Vipers (PNG Football Stadium, Port Moresby, PNG) 9. Redcliffe Dolphins (Dolphin Stadium, Moreton Bay, QLD) 10. Souths Logan Magpies (Davies Park, Brisbane, QLD) 11. Townsville Blackhawks (Jack Manski Oval, Townsville, QLD) 12. Western Clydesdale (Clive Berghofer Stadium, Toowoomba, QLD) 13. Wynnum Manly Seagulls (Kougari Oval, Brisbane, QLD) 14. Western Brisbane Panthers (Purtell Park, Brisbane, QLD) 15. Tweed Heads Seagulls (Piggabeen Sports Complex, Tweed Heads, NSW) 16. Darwin Brothers (Marrara Oval, Darwin, NT) 17. Lae Snax Tigers (PNG) 18. 3rd New Zealand team (Hamilton) 19. 4th New Zealand team (Tauranga) 20. Team in New Caledonia (Nouméa) NSW Cup - 11 NSW (10 SYD), 3 VIC, 1 SA, 1 TAS, 1 WA, 2 NZ, 1 FIJ: 1. Canterbury-Bankston Bulldogs (Belmore Sports Ground, Sydney, NSW) 2. Balmain Tigers (Leichhardt Oval, Sydney, NSW) 3. Western Sydney Magpies (Campbelltown, Sydney, NSW) 4. Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (Endeavour Field, Sydney, NSW) 5. St. George Dragons (Jubilee Oval, Sydney, NSW) 6. Manly Warringah Sea Eagles (Brookvale Oval, Sydney, NSW) 7. Newton Jets (Henson Park, Sydney, NSW) 8. North Sydney Bears (North Sydney Oval, Sydney, NSW) 9. Mount Pritchard Mounties (Mount Pritchard Oval, Sydney, NSW) 10. Blacktown Workers (H.E. Laybutt Field, Sydney, NSW) 11. Geelong Sharks (Kardinia Park, Geelong, VIC) 12. Kaiviti Silktails (Churchill Park, Lautoka, FJ) 13. New Ballarat team (Eureka Stadium) 14. New Hobart team (North Hobart Oval, North Hobart, TAS) 15. New Bendingo team 16. 2nd Perth team 17. 2nd Adelaide team 18. New Wellington team 19. New Dunedin team 20. 2nd Newcastle team, perhaps called Maitland (although this spot was a filler)

[@aetfggdgdfgret]

@@Jamie-ye7fu I like it. Although, metro Suva has around 185k people, so it's similar to Townsville. It would be good to steal the fanbase of RU to RL in Fiji. And I would try to develop interest for Rugby League in Honolulu. It's a big city, lot's of Polynesian people. I think it could work. But great concept you made.

[@Jamie-ye7fu]

@@aetfggdgdfgret Yes you're right. Honolulu would definitely work (North Americans are mad for sports too, Toronto in the Super League got decent support when they were there), the only thing holding it back I guess is the travel distance. If international rugby league had any foresight they would get Samoa vs Tonga played there this year!!

[@WTC-1990]

If I'm Benji, then I'd do this 1. Adam Doueihi 2. Charlie Stains 3. Brent Naden 4. Starford To'a 5. Junior Tupou 6. Dane Laurie 7. Brenden Wakeham 8. Stefano Utoikamanu 9. Api Koroisau 10. David Klemmer 11. Isaiah Papali’i 12. John Bateman 13. Joe Ofahengaue 14. Jake Simpkins 15. Shawn Blore 16. Sione Fainu 17. Alex Twal

[@DavidJones-ye6wy]

How about getting all the teams to put more into developing junior talent first as Brisbane, Para, Penrith, Newcastle Townsville have.

[@michaelgoodwin1239]

Hmmm, how much is Junior development? And how much is just the population around them?

[@Mac-jx8uj]

What's wrong with Perth ? National Rugby league. I've always thought West's should have gone there ,still play some games from Campbelltown but foster the game in w.a second kiwi team would be a joke get the one they have sorted first ( no disrespect) .

[@gavinringland1362]

AUSTRALIA. Times

[@richardwood9177]

18th team in NZ with both NZ teams having exclusive first rights to South Pacific players. First right of refusal.

[@DjDmt]

Team in Perth pls

[@aperfectlycromulentusername]

CENTRAL COAST BEARS

[@Youser57]

Promotion relegation, 1 each from NSW and Qld cups and maybe a 3rd between the 2 cups that is a playoff between the 2nd placed teams in NSW and Qld, whoever they are no club too small or too big. Like la liga the existing Club B team in next tier can't be promoted. They should've started this with dolphins too 2 teams from each cup, bottom 2 of the 4 yearly promote/relegate but now dolphins probably have some sort of guarantee, probably room for 3 and the bottom of 3 is relegated, then a playoff each year between NSW and Qld team to promote to NRL. Qld and NSW cups manage the new teams as they already currently do, have a Perth 2nd NZ team PNG team, etc. Also both cups need to be fully televised, 1 game each cup free to air even if it's on non 7,9,10 channels

[@gavinringland1362]

We are keep. New South. WALIS. Going. To. Stay. Up. QEENLAND

[@joelhungerford8388]

What was the point of the mergers of wests tigers and saint George Illawarra

[@blackrose.9927]

Agree ! They were better off with their own identity.

[@blusuck]

Build the base first. Reserve grade and u20/21s should be first.

[@michaelgoodwin1239]

Brisbane Broncos and the QRL have made sure there won't be a NRL Reserve or NRL U21s

[@jc7671]

No new teams. P!ss off a few of the Sydney teams. Tigers for example, are not doing well. The NRL had the right idea 24 years ago when it got rid of South Sydney unfortunately the bleeding hearts got their way & they snuck back in through the back door & Russell Crowe’s money.

[@blackrose.9927]

Nah mate Bring in more Teams not less. That's how they fkd it in the first place.

[@khodesh1071]

2nd NZ team

[@thewielloyd988]

Is China going to poach all our Pacific Rugby League talent? 🤯 Plenty of arguments for NRL expansions but don’t think that’s a valid one.

[@JayYoung313]

Bring the bears

[@gavinringland1362]

Ringland. Boys

[@gabrielsadaraka494]

Christchurch bulls should be in the nrl

[@clutch7548]

Will they do better than Warriors?

[@justsayin8700]

Funny to see Wade here talking about expanding the game just after I seen a video of him almost taking someone’s head off 😂😂

[@williambaglme819]

I cannot see how, the one's got to do with the other?

[@Giveme1goodreason]

If they’re going to expand it can not and must not be in Queensland or New South Wales. The dolphins have not added 1 single new fan to rugby league. They have not grown the sport at all. If they want a 20 team comp fine. Perth, Hobart and a pacific islands team. There needs to be a team in Perth. There is no professional football team in Hobart so go there and take fans away from afl. The pacific islands are experiencing unprecedented growth in rugby league fandom since Tonga and Samoa are very competitive in rugby league but get belted on rugby Union. The pacific islands have been taken for granted by rugby now is the time to take it from them. All 3 of these are new markets with new audiences that actually grow the game and will grow the talent pool and will increase the salary cap with more revenue streams.

[@mikespearwood3914]

Don't get that logic. Fremantle & Port Adelaide are a massive plus for the AFL in adding thousands of new fans, plus a high profile derby. This is the best thing for the NRL!

[@Spectre-tv7wi]

@@mikespearwood3914 but we should also expand to other areas to compete with our competitors (AFL). The nrl is not even national

[@mikespearwood3914]

@@Spectre-tv7wi Sure....but maximise your own heartland regions first. Only a conspiracy by the News Corp owned Broncos stopped Brisbane having a derby for around a quarter of a century. Look at how dire Super Rugby is with not just an uneven competition, but very few teams in heartland areas!

[@Giveme1goodreason]

@@mikespearwood3914 there is not 1 single new fan of rugby league because of the dolphins. There is simply less fans of other clubs. Expansion must be outside of the heartland or the game will not grow.

[@Giveme1goodreason]

@@mikespearwood3914 name one heartland area for rugby? Draining blood from the heart will not create a bigger product.

[@banjopiggottwright1802]

If the NRL go to 20 teams even 18 teams, I think we need to go to a two conference system with one having all the Sydney based clubs and everyone else in the other conference (which would get rid of the dreaded byes, reduce travel time and costs for most teams and would make the local Sydney and Queensland derbies alot more viable commercially and more attractive to current and potential spectators). I'd also shorten the regular season down to a 20 round season with every team playing their respective conference teams twice and have four cross-conference fixtures that's worth 3pts instead of 2pts for the winning team. Have the Top 4 teams of each conference play in the semi finals, the winners of those will play for their respective conference championship in the conference finals and the two conference champions face off in a Grand Final match played at Stadium Australia. As for who should be the 18th team, I'd have a PNG/Pacific Island Team or another Brisbane based team (Wynnum Manly or Ipswich) to saturate the rugby league market in Brisbane further. If we go to 20 teams, the North Sydney Bears would be first in line to return to the NRL (they'd be the 10th team within the Sydney team based conference as you would expect) along with a Perth based team which will finally give the NRL a footnote in the Perth/WA sporting market (which would join the regional conference as you'd expect).

[@doylersafl8728]

I'm surprised no one's talking about tassie as an expansion team, considering how quickly afl is falling there to soccer and basketball

[@Samizouza]

Basically something similar to the NBA on conferences but good point

[@brisal88]

Did nick Politis really come up with the idea. Perth and expansion has been talked about for years. I think uncle Nick just steals other people's ideas.

[@francoisnaufahu30]

PLEASE EXPAND THE LEAGUE!!!!!

[@marcquishepburn5190]

20 teams fine. Happy to watch more footy. But what about years ago with all the team's that had to merge or cancel. Happy to eliminate bring back old teams before new teams. Just a thought

[@Jamie-ye7fu]

Personally, this would be my plan. A team in every urban centre in Oceania that currently has 300k+ population (plus Townsville representing the North and minus Honolulu), with the top 3 having multiple, but no more than 20 teams and actually representing the area they play in not the cringey American joint teams or teams with names for places they aren't based. A truly big city comp. Same principle in the second grade but with 100k-300k centres (plus Suva which is 80k), whilst maintaining current community clubs and their pathways. From those rules, I came up with this: NRL - 1 PNG, 2 NZ, 5 QLD (2 BNE), 7 NSW (2 SYD, 2 GWS), 1 ACT, 2 VIC/MEL, 1 SA, 1 WA: 1. Papua New Guinea Hunters (PNG Football Stadium, Port Moresby, PNG) 2. Auckland Aotearoa Warriors (Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland, NZ) 3. Christchurch Canterbury Bulldogs (Rugby League Park, Christchurch, NZ) 4. North Queensland Cowboys (North Queensland Stadium, Townsville, QLD) 5. Sunshine Coast Falcons (Sunshine Coast Stadium [redeveloped], Kawana Waters, QLD) 6. Brisbane Broncos (Lang Park, Brisbane, QLD) 7. BNE Dolphins (Lang Park, Brisbane, QLD) 8. Gold Coast Titans (Robina Stadium, Gold Coast, QLD) 9. Newcastle Knights (Newcastle International Sports Centre, Newcastle, NSW) 10. Central Coast Sea Eagles (Central Coast Stadium, Gosford, NSW) 11. Sydney Roosters (Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney, NSW) 12. Sydney Rabbitohs (Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney, NSW) 13. Parramatta Eels (Western Sydney Stadium, Greater Western Sydney, NSW) 14. Penrith Panthers (New Penrith Stadium, Greater Western Sydney, NSW) 15. Illawarra Steelers (Wollongong Showground, Wollongong, NSW) 16. Canberra Raiders (Canberra Stadium, Bruce, ACT) 17. Melbourne Storm (Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne, VIC) 18. Melbourne Thunder (Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne, VIC) 19. Adelaide Rams (Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, SA) 20. Perth Pirates (Perth Oval, Perth, WA) Souths move closer to home and share the SFS again, we keep Stadium Australia for the big games like GF and Origin (just like Wembley has no permanent team), and we have a team playing out of Sydney City every week, a team playing out of Brisbane every week, and a team playing out of Melbourne every week, all in big modern stadiums in the middle of the 3 biggest cities in Oceania. We de-merge and demote St George and bring back Illawarra Steelers as a token for the nostalgia bias boomers but also as Wollongong is a 300k plus area with a stadium that isn't a tiny suburban place. QLD Cup - 13 QLD, 2 PNG, 1 NSW, 1 NT, 2 NZ, 1 CAL 1. Brisbane Tigers (Langlands Park, Brisbane, QLD) 2. Burleigh Bears (Pizzey Park, Gold Coast, QLD) 3. Central Queensland Capras (Browne Park, Rockhampton, QLD) 4. Ipswich Jets (North Ipswich Reserve, Ipswich, QLD) 5. Mackay Cutters (Stadium Mackay, Mackay, QLD) 6. Northern Pride (Burlow Park, Cairns, QLD) 7. Norths Devils (Bishop Park, Brisbane, QLD) 8. Port Moresby Vipers (PNG Football Stadium, Port Moresby, PNG) 9. Redcliffe Dolphins (Dolphin Stadium, Moreton Bay, QLD) 10. Souths Logan Magpies (Davies Park, Brisbane, QLD) 11. Townsville Blackhawks (Jack Manski Oval, Townsville, QLD) 12. Western Clydesdale (Clive Berghofer Stadium, Toowoomba, QLD) 13. Wynnum Manly Seagulls (Kougari Oval, Brisbane, QLD) 14. Western Brisbane Panthers (Purtell Park, Brisbane, QLD) 15. Tweed Heads Seagulls (Piggabeen Sports Complex, Tweed Heads, NSW) 16. Darwin Brothers (Marrara Oval, Darwin, NT) 17. Lae Snax Tigers (PNG) 18. 3rd New Zealand team (Hamilton) 19. 4th New Zealand team (Tauranga) 20. Team in New Caledonia (Nouméa) NSW Cup - 11 NSW (10 SYD), 3 VIC, 1 SA, 1 TAS, 1 WA, 2 NZ, 1 FIJ: 1. Canterbury-Bankston Bulldogs (Belmore Sports Ground, Sydney, NSW) 2. Balmain Tigers (Leichhardt Oval, Sydney, NSW) 3. Western Sydney Magpies (Campbelltown, Sydney, NSW) 4. Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (Endeavour Field, Sydney, NSW) 5. St. George Dragons (Jubilee Oval, Sydney, NSW) 6. Manly Warringah Sea Eagles (Brookvale Oval, Sydney, NSW) 7. Newton Jets (Henson Park, Sydney, NSW) 8. North Sydney Bears (North Sydney Oval, Sydney, NSW) 9. Mount Pritchard Mounties (Mount Pritchard Oval, Sydney, NSW) 10. Blacktown Workers (H.E. Laybutt Field, Sydney, NSW) 11. Geelong Sharks (Kardinia Park, Geelong, VIC) 12. Kaiviti Silktails (Churchill Park, Lautoka, FJ) 13. New Ballarat team (Eureka Stadium) 14. New Hobart team (North Hobart Oval, North Hobart, TAS) 15. New Bendingo team 16. 2nd Perth team 17. 2nd Adelaide team 18. New Wellington team 19. New Dunedin team 20. 2nd Newcastle team, perhaps called Maitland (although this spot was a filler)

[@sting1077]

U can forget about Fiji. Rugby Union is number 1

[@Jamie-ye7fu]

@@sting1077 they already exist and I proposed them for the second grade, not the first.

[@jeremymartin-ys3gj]

Sunshine coast

[@yeahyeahyeah19852]

Bring back the Rams!

[@doylersafl8728]

Change the name to the Cardinals

[@npd6225]

It only works because they’ve got the GOAT coach.

[@theman193]

Success? Get a premiership first and they have only won two games.

[@johnmadden6482]

Some people had them bottom last. They have done well thanks to Bennett

[@theman193]

@@johnmadden6482 yeah their a solid team, definitely have a lot more to prove first before being labelled successful .

[@johnmadden6482]

@@theman193 I’d say 10 or above on table would be successful for first year

[@clutch7548]

They mean commercial and fan success too

[@wperfect]

Fck it lets chuck Hawaii & L.A in there too

[@clutch7548]

Yeah 13 hour flight allgood

[@KojoGotMojo]

Its been 2 weeks 🤣🤣

[@gavinringland1362]

New Year’s. 2025. NRL. New. Times. In. Australia. At. WA

[@mattcollier7166]

Team's from the island's sound right to me like Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga and maybe a second New Zealand team. Or look at getting the game to be more national and get team's in the league from Perth and Adelaide.

[@awkw4rdjoke]

Panthers cant support another 3 teams!

[@mikeocsmall6766]

Success? It's only been 2 games lmao

[@WTC-1990]

This will never happen, but I'd like to see this happen New South Wales City North Sydney Eels Sydney City Roosters West Sydney Bulldogs South Sydney Rabbitohs New South Wales Country North NSW Knights East Coast Sharks West NSW Panthers South NSW Dragons Queensland City North Brisbane Dolphins Brisbane City Broncos West Brisbane Tigers South Brisbane Jets Queensland Country North QLD Cowboys Gold Coast Titans Sunshine Coast Falcons South QLD Magpies Victoria North Melbourne Hurricanes Melbourne City Storm West Melbourne Typhoon South Melbourne Cyclones Western Australia Perth Lions Fremantle Wolves West Coast Bears Western Reds South Australia Adelaide Rams Port Adelaide Seagulls Port Lincoln Mariners South Coast Sea Eagles New Zealand Christchurch Braves Auckland Warriors Wellington Vikings Hamilton Orcas😊 Tas, ACT, NT North Coast Bulls Darwin Cheetahs Canberra Raiders Hobart Steelers Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, PNG Papa New Guinea Hunters Tongan Crusaders Fijian Highlanders Samoan Chiefs

[@Adroyo]

Lol 😂 funny joke

[@WTC-1990]

@Cupcat as I said, it will never happen but if it did it would really expand the game

[@benjaminrowley]

To many teams

[@WTC-1990]

@@benjaminrowley split into 2 conference ls

[@maducrutz9384]

WTF too many fckn teams for one comp, the fatigue even if those teams had talent would be massive

[@footykid98]

They win 2 games and everyone’s jumping on the phins

[@doylersafl8728]

I remember the Brisbane Bears did that in their first vfl/afl season, didn't go much higher

[@malmotumotu5218]

Dragon vs

[@jettstream2886]

19 1/2 if you count the tigers